Winter top for convertible cars



June 27, 1967 o. EINHORN WINTER TOP FOR CONVERTIBLE CARS Filed June 30,1965 FIG. I.

. INVENTOR BY OTTO EINHORN ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,328,073 WINTER TOP FOR CONVERTIBLE CARS OttoEinllorn, Herzogstrasse 56, Municl1,Germany Filed June 30, 1965, Ser.No. 468,507 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 16, 1964, E27,967 Claims. (Cl. 296-136) The present invention relates to a wintertop or shell for convertible cars.

Tops of this kind have been used for some years with convertibles in thehigher price brackets. The tops comprise a conventionally rigid unithaving a self-supporting steel-sheet shell or jacket forming the outsideof the top, the steel-sheet shell being equipped with an inner liningcorresponding with the lining of the textile top.

This winter top, called generally a hard-top, is equipped with clampclosures, with the help of which it can be secured as rigid top to thefront frame of the wind shield and to the body of the convertible car,upon lowering of the textile top. Hard-tops are characterized by anincreased resistance to inclement weather during winter, as comparedwith the conventional textile tops, and additionally bring about anappreciably improved heat insulation. Thus the use of a hard-top for thecold season amounts to a desirable improvement of the travellingcomfort, in addition to the protection afforded to the textile top.

These advantages must be taken in stride, however, by a considerableexpenditure in the form of two tops completely independent relative toeach other, which expenditure is out of proportion with regard to theadvantages achieved thereby. Furthermore, the drawback is experiencedthat such hard-tops can be used only for vehicle models, in which thelowered textile top can be set into the luggage compartment.

It isone object of the present invention to provide a winter top forconvertible cars, wherein a new solution is presented for a winter topof the above-described type, which is characterized, in addition to aparticular simplicity, by its adaptability to practically allconvertible car types available on the market.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a winter topfor convertible cars which comprises a rigid unit with a shell formingthe outside of the top of a synthetic or any other suitable materialhaving weather-resistant characteristics and solves the problem of thepresent invention by arranging a thin-walled shape-retaining shell ofsynthetic material adjusted to the upright position of the textile topand having a rear-view window with stiffening ribs, furthermore, frontand rear supports limited suitably as to their engaging faces, as wellas front and rear securing means effective on both sides, at least oneof the securing means being designed as a clamping closure.

The present invention is based on the recognition that a shell ofsynthetic material constituting a hard-top can be mounted on a textiletop by means of suitable securing means effective in the manner ofclamping closures,

so that the available textile top can be applied to the realization of ahard-top.

In this simple manner, particularly the heat insulation of the formedtop is appreciably increased with an increasingly lesser expenditure.

The simultaneous use of the textile top for purposes of the winter tophas the added advantage, that the textile top can now remain in itsnormal, i.e. stretched condition, also during the winter months. Thedanger of drying out is thus consilderably reduced. This danger ispresent in the first place, if the textile top is stored away forseveral months by setting it in the luggage compartment.

Patented June 27, 1967 The sufiicient ventilation, which, among othereffects, prevents the drying out of the textile top, is made possible inaccordance with the present invention in a simple manner by an airclearance defined between the outside of the textile top and the insideof the shell of synthetic material.

A particularly effective ventilation can be achieved such, that theshell of synthetic material has at its front end face slots open to thebottom only, and under certain circumstances also lateral slots. Inconnection with the ventilation of the textile top, it is advisable todispose the stifiening ribs in longitudinal direction of the shell,because the ribs serve thus simultaneously the purpose of guiding theair stream.

According to yet another important feature of the present invention, itis suitable to limt the front support to the two front cornersof theshell, and to provide therefor preferably elastic elements, for instancerubber blocks. The rear support can, in turn, be provided by a ledge ofelastic material having preferably multiple interruptions and disposedat the rear lower edge of the shell.

It has proven advisable and useful to supplement for differentapplications for the rear support, in addition to the ledge, another,preferably interrupted cross ledge of elastic material above the rearwindow of both the textile top and the solid top, and within the rangeof a rear upper supporting bow of the textile top.

A ledge-formed rear support has proven particularly advantageous forconvertible cars, the textile top of which has at least one decorativeledge at the rear window within the range of the rear upper support bow,as it is found by example on the Volkswagen 1200, Karman Ghia, and/or atthe rear end of the textile top, whereby the rigid shell can be mountedin a simple manner on the decorative ledge by means of securing ledges.

It is also a further object of the present invention to provide a wintertop for convertible cars, wherein the front securing means are designedas a wedge closure and the rear securing means as a fixed pointsuspension.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

the front securing means includes two steel bands secured by means ofhinges to both sides of the front-end side of the shell, whereby thesteel bands project through the frame of the wind shield and thecorresponding front bow of the textile top and engage with their freeangularly bent ends, preferably formed as spring clamps on the inside ofthe car, the frame of the wind shield or the front support bow of thetextile top. If, in a certain car type, greater tolerances-areencountered between individual vehicles of the same series, it isadvisable to equip the angularly bent ends of the steel bands with anadjustable abutment. In this manner, the tolerances can be easilycompensated in each case with a view to a proper clamping of the shellrelative to the textile top.

The rear securing means can, in turn, comprise advantageously lateralopenings provided'at the rear lower por tion of the shell, through whichthe shell is secured to the vehicle body by means of threadedholts orsimilar fastening means. a

As long as screw securing means are already provided at the criticalpoints, it is advisable to design the opening as adjustable threadguides, for example, in the form of cross guides.

With these and other objects in view which will bei come apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the

present invention will be clearly understood in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded side elevation of a portion of a convertible carhaving a textile top, and a rigid shell to be mounted on the textiletop;

FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the rigid shell disclosed in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a section along lines 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective top view of the car, with partsbroken away in order to show front attaching means for the shellaccording to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, a portion ofthe car body 20 is disclosed, which is equipped with a textile top 1 ofconventional design. A rear view window 2 is fitted in the rear portionof the textile top 1. A shell 3, for instance of synthetic material, ismounted on top of the textile top 1, which shell is shown in FIG. 1 inlifted position, The shell or winter top 3 is substantiallycomplementary to the textile top 1 as to its configuration.

The winter top or shell 3 has also a rear view window 4 which is alignedwith the rear view window 2, when the two tops 1 and 3 are in superposedoperative positions.

Referring now again to the drawing, and in particular to FIGS. 2 and 3,the structure of the shell 3, designed in accordance with the presentinvention, is more clearly disclosed. The shell 3 has a relatively thinwall and is provided on its side with stiffening ribs 6 disposed inlongitudinal direction. The front portion of the shell 3 has slots 7open downwardly, the position of the slots 7 being chosen such, thatthey are flanked on both sides by a rib 6. These slots 7 serve thepurpose of ventilating the textile top 1, whereby the stiffening ribs 6are used for an air flow in longitudinal direction.

The shell 3 has, within the range of the rear upper support bow of thetextile top 1 (not shown), marked by decorative ledge (FIG. 1), at itsinside an interrupted securing ledge 8 (FIG. 2) of elastic material. Thesecuring ledge 8 is mounted at this point on the decorative ledge 5 ofthe textile top 1.

Another interrupted securing ledge 9 of elastic material extends alongthe rear bottom edge of the shell 3. The ledge 9 serves as supportwithin the range of the rear edge of the textile top 1. If a decorativeledge 6 is likewise provided at this location, as for. instance in theVolkswagen convertible car 1200, Karman Ghia, the shell 3 can be mountedwith its securing ledge 9 on this decorative ledge.

The interruptions of the ledges 8 and 9 serve the purpose of renderingmost favorably the ventilation of the intermediate space between therear view window 2 of the textile top 1 and the rear view window 4 ofthe shell 3 for preventing the rear view windows 2 and 4 from gettingfogged.

The front support of the shell 3 on the textile top 1 is brought aboutby two blocks 10 of preferably soft rubber.

For the rear securing of the shell 3, the latter is equipped with twoopenings 11 disposed at the rear lower lateral edge (FIG. 1). The shell3 is secured by means of screw bolts to the car body of the convertiblecar, which screw bolts extend through the openings 11 of the shell 3.

If there are securing clamps on the vehicle body for the textile top 1in the collapsed position of the latter in the vicinity of the lateralrearward lower edge of the textile top 1, the securing means of thesecuring clamps can be used directly for the rearward securing of theshell 3. This possibility presents itself likewise in the Volkswagencars.

The front support for the shell 3 is formed like a clamping closure andcomprises substantially two steel bands 12 secured to the two sides atthe end face of the shell 3 by means of hinges 22 and terminating attheir free ends in an angularly bent spring member 13.

The shell is fortified within the range of the forward and rearwardsecuring means. Concerning the rearward securing means, thefortification is brought about in a simple manner by an innerfortification ring 14 (FIG. 2) disposed concentrically to the openings11 of the shell 3.

For a better demonstration of the operation of the front securing means,FIG. 4 discloses the steel bands 12 with the mounted shell, a portion ofwhich is broken away, in operative position, that means the shell 3being clamped to the textile top 1. The steel bands 12 project therebybetween the frame 15 of the wind shield and the forward bow 16 of thetextile top 1 and engage with the spring members 13 of their angularlybent ends at the inner side of the frame 15 of the wind shield. Theyamount practically to a bent-over connection and in particular to aso-called catch.

As has been mentioned before, the angularly bent free ends 13 of thesteel bands 12 can also be equipped with an adjustable abutment, bymeans of which the amount of the pretension is individually adjustablein suitable manner.

If it should be found necessary, the front and rear securing means 12can be supplemented by a lateral anchoring means of the shell 3 on thesteel frame of the textile top 1 by means of appropriate clamps (notshown).

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is tobe understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in alimiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined bythe objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A winter top for convertible cars comprising a textile top adapted tobe secured to a car body and including means shifting said textile topfrom an upright position to a collapsed position,

a shell covering in spaced relationship therefrom the outside of saidtextile top in the upright position of the latter and consisting ofrigid hardtop material,

a rear view window disposed in the rear portion of said shell,

front and rear means for supporting said shell on top of and close tosaid textile top in spaced relationship therebetween providing an airspace between said textile top and said shell, and front and rearsecuring means adapted to be mounted on the car body and retaining saidshell removably on said textile top.

2. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shell isreinforced in the range of at least one of said front and said rearsecuring means.

3. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shell is madesubstantially of a thin steel sheet.

4. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shell is madesubstantially of a plastic material.

5. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, which includes stiffeningribs on the side of said shell facing said textile top.

6. The winter top, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said stiffening ribsare disposed substantially in longitudinal direction of said shell.

7. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shell has atleast at its front end face slots opening downwardly and adapted forventilation of the space defined between said textile top and saidshell.

8. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said frontsupporting means comprises resilient mem bers disposed at the frontcorners of said shell, and

said rear supporting means comprises an interrupted ledge secured to thelower rear edge of said shell.

9. The winter top, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said rear supportingmeans comprises additionally an interrupted tranversal ledge of elasticmaterial above said rear view window, and

means for supporting said interrupted transversal ledge.

10. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said front securingmeans comprises a clamping closure,

and

said rear securing means comprises a fixed-point suspension means.

11. The winter top, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said clampingclosure comprises two thin steel bands and hinges securing said steelbands on both sides to the front end face of said shell, and said steelbands having angularly bent free ends to constitute spring members,

said steel bands being adapted to extend between the topside of theWindshield frame and the corresponding front bow of said textile top andsaid bent free ends being adapted to engage on the inside one of theframe of the windshield and of the front bow of the textile top.

12. The winter top, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said free ends ofsaid bands include adjustable abutment.

13. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rear securingmeans includes openings adapted to receive said bolts projecting fromthe car body.

14. The winter top, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said openings aretwo-dimensionally adjustable sliding guides.

15. The winter top, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shell has atleast at its front end face slots opening downwardly and adapted forventilation of the space defined between said textile top and saidshell,

stiffening ribs on the side of said shell facing said textile top anddisposed substantially in the longitudinal direction of said shell, and

a pair of adjacent of said stiffening ribs flanking each of said slots.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,479,825 8/ 1949 Fleischhauer296136 2,602,406 7/ 1952 'Orter 52-22 X 2,629,3 47 2/ 3 Wittrien 5222 X2,765,192 10/1956 Blake 296136 X BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. C. C.PARSONS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A WINTER TOP FOR CONVERTIBLE CARS COMPRISING A TEXTILE TOP ADAPTED TOBE SECURED TO A CAR BODY AND INCLUDING MEANS SHIFTING SAID TEXTILE TOPFROM AN UPRIGHT POSITION TO A COLLAPSED POSITION, A SHELL COVERING INSPACED RELATIONSHIP THEREFROM THE OUTSIDE OF SAID TEXTILE TOP IN THEUPRIGHT POSITION OF THE LATTER AND CONSISTING OF RIGID HARDTOP MATERIAL,A REAR VIEW WINDOW DISPOSED IN THE REAR PORTION OF SAID SHELL, FRONT ANDREAR MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SHELL ON TOP OF AND CLOSE TO SAID TEXTILETOP IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP THEREBETWEEN PROVIDING AN AIR SPACE BETWEENSAID TEXTILE TOP AND SAID SHELL, AND FRONT AND REAR SECURING MEANSADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE CAR BODY AND RETAINING SAID SHELL REMOVABLYON SAID TEXTILE TOP.